Super Smash Famiglia Mafioso
by MidnightNocturne
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world, the Smashers are scattered and bitter, mere remnants of the Day of Tabula Rasa. They now run their own mafia gangs, surviving in the turbulent world by any means necessary. Constantly, they fight amongst themselves over territory and power. Can one man unite these fallen heroes to face the true enemy? RATED M FOR VIOLENCE AND SUGGESTIVE THEMES. No OCs
1. Just Good Business

The small one figure scurried through the dark and derelict street, periodically scanning his environment for unwanted followers. The erratically falling rain was enough to mitigate the everyday smell of sewage, and cursorily washed the contaminated walkway. Beer bottles, forgotten rags, used cigarettes butts, syringes, and condoms, decaying rubble, fraying flyers of cheap strip clubs, and even the dried blood from the everyday murders were littered across the district. The ominous night was illuminated by the remaining lampposts and half-working neon store signs. Looking to one side, the lone pedestrian spied what looked like a pale, unmoving hand. Taking a nervous gulp, he trotted away from the sight and pulled up the collar of his trench coat more to his face. Although he had already made numerous excursions through this district, the feeling of unease and anxiety remained the same. Self-reflecting his cowering figure, he quickly adjusted his posture to straighten his back and try to look as large as he could. He seemed to be the only one outside, but you were never alone here. Looking like a weakling will set yourself up as an easy picking and flaunting too much of yourself attracted a challenge. At the next intersection, the man saw sanctuary: a sleek black car with silver trimmings and a small mushroom symbol attached on the front hood of the vehicle. Normally, a car of such caliber would have ended up in the chopshop in a day, but no one dared to even glance twice at it, if they valued their life. Not even _they_ wanted to get too involved. Urging his feet to move faster, the small man got to the vehicle and opened the rear door and his expecting employer. The stout passenger was wore a hand-tailored suit with silver cuffs and a fedora on his head, masking much of his face from a higher viewpoint, only revealing his brown mustache. With a small "Mi scusi," the smaller man entered the car and shut the door.

"You are-a 5 minutes-a late, Signor Toad," his superior stated flatly, arms still crossed.

Bowing several times, Toad apologized, "Mi dispiace per l'inconveniente, Don Mario. I heard news that our accomplices were found dead this morning. I had no choice but to take the longer route."

Nodding matter-of-factly, Mario questioned as the car started to move, "Who-a died?"

"Only some grunts."

"That's-a good. How-a were they-a killed?"

Toad shivered at the thought. "It's said that they were dismembered. Bad."

To his surprise, Mario laughed like it was a joke and slapped his knee. "Madonna mia! We-a must've really-a pissed 'them' off!"

"With all due respect, Don Mario, I think they're giving us a clear warning."

"Fuck them! If they-a want to put-a their ass in-a our business, we'll-a just have-a to fuck it good. So, did-a the transaction go well?"

"Sì, Don Mario."

"Good. That's-a all that-a matters," he said firmly and adjusted his fedora. "La madonna shall-a be pleased."

* * *

"Hya!" a voice shouted.

With a bloodcurdling wail, a long, centipede-like creature writhed disturbingly under the impalement of a sword. The wielder cruelly crushed its humanoid neck and decapitated the monstrosity with a clean swing.

"We have found Desert Wolf," another creature informed through a walkie-talkie. "I repeat, we have located Desert Wolf."

On the other side, a gurgling voice responded, "Take him down at all costs. Bring him dead, if he cannot be captured alive. Reinforcements will arrive shortly."

"Roger that," the multi-faced monster responded in a more sinister tone and reclipped the device. "At all costs, eh?"

It had no real head, only a large torso with many disfigured humanoid faces around it. Unable to contain its excitement, the fiend paid absolute no care for its allies fighting the Desert Wolf. With its bulky two arms, it hefted a Vulcan Gatling Gun and fired away, screaming like a madman. "Die, you little shit! Die! Hihihihihihihi! I love this thing!"

The fighters in the line of fire were torn to shreds from the rain gunfire, but the real target held up a shield just in time. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of the metalwork, but Desert Wolf was still being pushed back by the sheer force of the weapon. Once the salvaged jetplane gun ran out of ammunition, he was overwhelmed by a dozen beasts that greedily snapped their gruesome teeth and snatched frantically with various hands. After charging up some potential energy, the lone fighter spun viciously with a battle cry, rending many of his attackers. Methodically, he dealt with the scattered beings, until only the multi-faced monster remained. It desperately tried to feed the belt into the Vulcan. "Dammit! Why won't you work?!" it screamed as it roughly jammed the belt in, only to break the weapon with brute strength. Seeing Desert Wolf move in, it chucked the heavy gun at the swordsman with a shriek. Desert Wolf easily rolled away from it and jumped at the atrocity, sword raised high. From one of its many mouths, an emaciated, putrid-colored arm shot forth and grabbed the swordsman by the neck. Desert Wolf acted quickly by slicing it off, earning a scream of pain from the monster. He backed up to a good distance, readying his sword and shield.

"Fuck!" the creature cried out as it held its injured arm. "Do you know how much that hurts? Not that it matters…"

The other mouths stretched open as more spindly arms emerged. "These are the faces of my victims, ya know. I loved to see those beautiful expressions on human faces just before I ate them, hihi. This guy here was a former doctor. She's some hooker I chowed down when I was bored. And this one my favorite; his mommy just had her head bitten off by some other bastard. Oh, that look in his eyes! I remember it like it was only yesterday. Oh, sorry, mate. Guess I got off track."

"Now," it said with brimming malice, "I wonder what kind of face you'd make."

The fiend's arms elongated as they shot forth like springs. The swordsman lifted his shield for protection, but the hands took a hold of his shield and pulled it in, dragging him in as well.

"I don't mind, I'll just bring you along with it!" it cackled as the top of its torso opened up to reveal two rows of equally disfigured teeth. "Let me… eat…you…"

He raised his sword to hack off a limb, but the monster had already predicted that. "Oh, no you don't," it said as one of its large primary arms knocked it away. Now Desert Wolf was facing the huge, gaping, salivating maw.

"C'mon, scream," the monster urged. "You humans love to do that. I want to savor this moment."

Stealthily, he removed the item that he was hiding behind his shield and threw it into the creature's jaws. For a second, the monster made a choking sound, giving Desert Wolf enough time to shrink behind his shield.

"What the-" it began before the bomb blasted it into pieces. In the process, Desert Wolf was flung back several meters and showered in a rain of monster guts. With some effort, he got up from the blast and steadied himself.

"Hihihihi! You think this is over?" the remaining upper torso of the creature crowed. "Space Pirates are gonna be here pretty soon. You'll never get away in time! You human's **can't** win against us demons! We've already made your fathers into slaves and mothers into whores! It's only a matter of time before your pathetic species are-"

"Shut up," Desert Wolf grumbled and cut the remnant in half. He heaved a sigh of fatigue and wondered if the demon was bluffing about the Space Pirates. True to its word, a squadron of Zebesian Pirate Ships flew closer and closer from the horizon. Tiredly readying himself for combat, he awaited for the worst. Suddenly, another aircraft was heard behind him. Turning around, he saw a purple ship materialize from its stealth cloak and immediately fired a volley of missiles. Three of the Pirates Ships went down and the rest returned fire. The purple ship dodged the buffet as best it could and shot back with its plasma cannon while the pilot jumped down from the underside. The pilot was suited in an orange and yellow armor and a red helmet with a green visor that concealed the face.

"You!" Desert Wolf exclaimed in surprise.

The armored pilot raised a green cannon attached to the left arm of the suit and aimed at the Space Pirates. In the barrel, hot blue energy began to build up exponentially as parts of it opened up to allow some of the extra energy to escape. Once it finished charging, a giant beam erupted from the cannon, overwhelming the entire Pirate fleet. The ongoing blast's backdraft caused everything behind it to be pushed back. In his weak state, desert Wolf was knocked off his feet. Actively attempting to control the immense power, the pilot angled the stream of energy to swallow the aircrafts that were fleeing. Once the attack ended, the Zebesian Pirate ships were left in rubble, not one of them spared. The mysterious pilot turned to the fallen swordsman and extended a hand.

"Never thought I'd ever see _you_ again," he said with a grin and clasped the open palm with his own.

* * *

Past the desolate wasteland and linked to the forlorn Smash City was a sprawling metropolis, where the dark, ever-present clouds did not reach and the air was free from pollution. Skyscrapers of varying designs stretched hundreds of meters up, a system of multi-leveled overpasses looped across the city, and several spaceships soared through the open sky. In the heart of the city stood the Obelisk, the core of government, economy, and power. It stood 1000 meters off the ground and provided 250 elevators that traveled to all floors. It's sleek, reinforced gossamer-steel frame reflected the bright sunlight like a beacon.

A luxurious cream white car followed by three chrome black cars of the same design smoothly made their way into the Obelisk's underground parking lot. The cars were parked in the reserved spaces and men dressed in tight black overcoats exited the vehicles. Their faces were all covered by white masks with a black symbol of a large bird decorated across them. Only thin slits for the eyes and two breathing holes for the nose were the only openings that revealed anything of their identities. Identical sabers were strapped to their sides with leather belts. From the white car, a man of the same outfit with a red sash as a belt stepped out. His crimson hair was arranged messily and instead of a saber, he was equipped with two xiphos-styled swords at his hips. With the redhead in the lead, the group marched a rehearsed formation. People stared in mistrust or curiosity and quickly shuffled out of the way as the masked men went through the building, paying no heed to the attention. They entered the elevator and one of them pressed the button to the 538th floor. The apparent leader of the group looked at the security camera and slightly cocked his head in a smiling way. The elevator shot up with incredible speed and comfort and arrived at its destination in a minute. The door opened up with a "You are now on the 538th floor," and waiting for them was a small, pretty woman. She wore the usual office attire of a suit and skirt and held her blonde hair in a bun. Smiling sweetly at them, she greeted, "Welcome, gentlemen. I'm Mr. Malthus's secretary. Mr. Malthus has been expecting you."

"Morning, beautiful," the redhead returned the courtesy and shook her hand. "Hope we're not late."

"Actually, you're just on time," she replied with a wink and began to walk. "Please follow me."

"I hope this isn't a trap," he said with underlying suspicion as he followed, henchmen close behind.

The woman shook her head. "It's a terrible policy to kill ambassadors. Mr. Malthus strictly lives by his protocols."

Half-convinced, he nodded his head. "Strange demon."

"Mostly lower-level demons are controlled purely by instinct," she explained.

"Is Malthus one of the highest-rank then?"

"I cannot disclose that information."

"And you?"

She stopped to give him a puzzle look. "I don't know what-"

"Oh, please. I could smell you from a mile away," the masked man snorted. "Don't try to hide It with perfume. It's like a sewage smell you can't get rid of."

Almost unveiling her sunny disposition, the secretary quickly recomposed herself and continued to walked. "I-I'm in the middle."

He chuckled. "Now there are middle-level demons? What are they supposed to be like?"

"Strong enough to rip your mouth off but smart enough not to," she interpreted with another winning smile.

Laughing behind his mask, the redhead turned his head back to his cronies and whispered, "Just my type of girl."

"What did you have in the morning to make your skin so nice? Two scrambled children?"

With an amused smile, the blonde replied. "I haven't eaten in a while."

"Whaaaat," he said, unconvinced. "I thought you guys had this insatiable appetite for flesh."

She shot him what was almost a glare. "We don't _have_ to eat."

He blinked. "Well, that's something new I've learned today. I purposely brought my most scrumptious-looking men, too," he joked.

Now clearly annoyed with him, she carelessly opened the door. "Mr. Malthus is waiting inside. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Can't I at least get a name?" he called after her. "Shame. Well, this is it boys. Don't get aggressive, but be ready for anything."

They entered the spacious office, facing a long glass table with five businessmen already seated. At the end of the table was a lanky man with his brown hair neatly gelled to the side and rectangular glasses resting snugly on his long nose.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," he said openly and eagerly shook the redhead's hand and ushered him to an open seat.

"Mr. Malthus, I presume?"

"That's me! And you must be 'the mad tiger.'"

"The one and only," he replied amiably as he sat. "You didn't have to bring so many friends. My boys can be a little shy with so many strangers."

"Oh, don't mind them," the chairman of Behemoth Corp. insisted as he returned to his chair. "We were just having some minor meeting."

"I'd much rather discuss the peace agreement in privacy. I don't want other opinions to sway your judgment."

"They won't bother us. Now, shall we begin?"

"I'll tell you what; I'll show you something very interesting if you may pardon these gentlemen," he haggled.

"Oooh, and what might that be?" he asked while leaning over the table, enthusiastically interested.

"I'll show you my face."

The room became cold, individuals now strategically weighing the options of the barter.

After licking his lips in contemplation, Malthus gave his associates and apologetic look. "Forgive me, friends, but may we discuss this another time?"

Understandingly, the suited men exited the room.

"Now that they're gone, it's time to fulfill your end of the bargain," he said intently and rested his head on his folded hands.

"Of course. This thing _does_ get stuffy and all," the redhead remarked and wiggled the white mask off his face.

Malthus's expression changed from keen to amused. "Who could have thought? The 'mad tiger' of the Firebird Society is the former General Roy of Pharae. This truly is a small world after all."

Roy's expression was now grim. "How do you know who I am? Were _you_ there? On the Day of Tabula Rasa?"

"Afraid not. I moved in once all the dirty work was taken care of. An unfortunate end for your species. Many of us know about you. You are, how should I put it... like a war hero who fought on the wrong side."

"Flattery won't stop me from hating you. You're still one of them."

"Now, now. Let's put all prejudice aside. You came here on the false note that you want to negotiate some kind of bullshit treaty between the Firebird Society and the Government, but we both very well know that's not true. Why did you **really** come here?"

"Our leader wanted to give you this," he informed and pulled out a portable cassette player. He slid it across the table.

"A **cassette**! How delightful!" the demon commented brightly and examined the novelty. "Am I supposed to play it?"

"Mr. Malthus," Roy said in a low voice. "What you're about to hear can endanger my life… well, endanger my life even more, _and _your position in the company and Government. Is the room bugged or monitored?"

"Of course not, I need _some_ sort of privacy-"

"When you fuck your secretary?" the swordsman finished.

"That too," he confessed acknowledging.

"If you want to reach greater fame and fortune that you'll never reach again, then press play. If you are satisfied with your humble position, then kindly show us out the door."

The CEO shrugged with a playful smile and pressed play. "Why not? I'm always up to take a gamble."

"Greetings, Connor Malthus," the deliberately distorted voice said from the tape. It was the same voice he heard many times when the organization sent warnings to the Government after a retaliation terrorist attack. "I am the grand general of the Firebird Society. I have contacted you in hopes of establishing a cooperative project of taking over the Leviathan Corporation."

Round-eyed, Malthus looked from Roy to the cassette player.

"Yes. I understand that Chairman Grant is an important member of the Government but he is also your biggest rival and threat. It is also in my best interest to remove Grant from the playing field, but I need your assistance. It will be a **very** risky process for you and can result in prison time, possibly execution. Benefits in the result of success is guaranteed dominance in the market and Leviathan Corporation itself after we have no use for it. If you wish to cooperate, my subordinate will give you the details. If you dare to betray us, we will hunt you down and we **promise** to make your death as excruciating as possible. We are the undying bird that rises from the ashes. We are the flames that cleanses the world. We are the Firebird Society."

The demon nodded approvingly, sliding the device back to Roy. "Tempting. Very tempting. Nowadays, I was getting worried that old Grant's going to swallow me whole, and here comes my saving grace."

"So, you in or out," the general asked impatiently.

"I truly do like the offer but it seems a little unrealistic." Malthus leaned over again, eyeing him in a more predatory way. Now Roy could see that his eyes were turning completely black. "How could some violent shadow organization have _any_ sway in this? You solve a majority of your problems by killing off competitors, threatening dissenters, resorting to draconian regulations to rule your territory. Simply killing Grant off or threatening him won't get me the Leviathan."

Roy shook his head. "We plan on having Chairman Grant kill _himself_. Slowly."

Malthus's eyes turned back to a plain brown color as he leaned back in interest. "How?"

"We already have an inside man. We'll take care of the killing part. Just do your part, and you'll have your prize."

"And _why _would the Firebird Society team up with a demon. Everyone knows you don't like our folk."

"As you may know, the Leviathan Corporation's been actively donating resources to the Government, which in turn, has been trying to crack us down. And a few extra bucks never hurts."

The CEO scowled in exaggerated confusion. "But _why_ would _you_ help _me_, the CEO of the second largest corporation and an important member of the Government?"

"One, the Behemoth is the only company that we've never purposely terrorized."

Malthus laughed out loud and nodded. "Yes, yes. That's true, and I'm thankful that you haven't. I've heard **many** complaints from my colleagues about your shenanigans."

"Secondly, we need each other to succeed. One party to pressure him in the spotlight, and the other to work in the shadows. And lastly, the grand general thinks that you're different from the other demons."

"I'm honored, but if he or she means about not being a 'savage monster,' I actually prefer to eat a human or two once in a while."

"He thinks that you might be a demon we can trust. Your secretary also told me that you live strictly by policies. Isn't one of your company policies to give '100% customer satisfaction?'"

"And I deliver. I very much want to take up this offer but…"

"But what?" Roy demanded, not wanting to stay in the demon-infested Obelisk for any longer.

"But…," Malthus dragged on as he stood up and strolled over to his desk. "Oh, it's better for me to show you."

He pressed a button on the corner of his desk. Instantly, the Firebird members pulled out machine pistols from their coats and aimed it at the demon.

"Woah, hold it cowboys. I'm just calling my secretary," he explained and spoke into the phone. "Abbie? Can you be a doll and open up _that_ cell. Yes, we'll be there soon. Thanks, babe. Gentlemen, if you will follow me."

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Roy interrogated suspiciously as he wore his mask and walked out the room after him.

"I_ always_ follow protocols. And trusting me is only the first part of the test," Malthus said with a secretive smile and pressed the button for the elevator. The group descended to the 4th floor, the 2nd, then under the parking lot.

"Demons can be… quite a handful," Malthus said as they exited the elevator to a cement hallway. "Especially the dumb brutes that are monstrously strong. You must know of the cannibalistic tendencies of demons, yes?"

Roy nodded, cautious of his surroundings.

"Some of them are _so _out of control that they have to be put into captivity," Malthus went on as he entered a code at a heavy steel door. The sound of unlocking bolts were heard, and the door opened. They stepped inside a room with a strange green light. They were standing on a long stretch of platforms, about two hundred feet above the ground. Below was shrouded by some sort of fog. The railings were the only things that provided any sort of safety. Bellowing grunts and roars echoed throughout the chamber, slightly shaking the raised frame of metal.

"This is where we keep most of them. How did this start? Well, one day, the higher-ups came together and said, 'We're running out of prison cells, so let's cut down the number of prisoners.' Then one of them got a brilliant idea and said, 'Why not make a profit off of it?' And so, the Coliseum Games started, where wealthy individuals are entertained by the blood and gore of convicts. What you see below you is the arena, where the demon convicts fight. Sometimes the audience wants to see a human convict slaughtered; we change it up often."

He pointed to a large window on the wall to their right. Rows of movie theater-styled seats were visible. "That's the VIP room. And this is where human convicts are lowered into the arena."

Roy's eyes narrowed, beginning to see where this was going. "So we're today's entertainment."

"No, no. This is the test I've decided to give you. You and your fine men will prove your resolve and defeat one of the convicts I've selected. If you guys die, well, I have no use for weak allies."

"Sir, the preparations are complete," Abigail, his secretary, informed as she joined them.

"Thank you," Malthus said.

"Hello again," Roy greeted, only to be ignored.

The CEO turned to them. "So, are you boys up to it?"

"I'll handle this," Roy stated confidently and drew his swords.

"By yourself? As a fair warning, I'm giving you one of our toughest breeds."

"Do it."

Malthus sighed. "At least you've got balls. Abbie, please release prisoner #5286."

"Yes sir," she replied and pressed a button on a handheld remote.

The beastly roars grew louder and the fog cleared. An ogre-like demon standing at least 50 meters thundered into the arena, swinging its fists at the wall. The whole room shook like an earthquake, but Malthus assured, "Don't worry. The walls of this chamber are magically protected, so you don't have to worry about this place caving in. If you will step onto here, we'll lower you-"

Roy had jumped down before he could finish.

"Good luck!"

As soon as he landed, the colossal monster turned to his direction and thundered forward with a roar of pure rage. The general zigzagged through the crushing feet and deeply slashed its left ankle. With a howl of pain, the beast fell.

The Firebird members stood stoically with their arms folded behind their backs while the two demons watched with interest. The wound in the prisoner's ankle slowly sealed up as it stood once more.

"Gods, I hate regenerating demons."

" Go for the heart or cut its head off!" Malthus advised.

"I know! I'll show you why I'm called the 'mad tiger,'" Roy said and powered his blades up with flames. The huge demon swung a paw at him, only to have the redhead jump at its face. The monster tried to swipe him away with the other hand, but the dual blades shot a column of fire at it with a short swing. Bellowing and clutching its hand in pain, the demon stumbled back, but Roy granted no mercy. He landed on its chest and knocked it down by slamming his feet as hard as he could. Charging up his swords for a destructive Flare Blade, he horizontally slashed its neck, beheading it with cutting and explosive force.

"Not bad. Try these on for size," Malthus said and snatched the remote from his secretary to press several more buttons.

"Sir, those convicts haven't been tested yet."

"Don't patronize me in front of the guests, Abbie," he tutted. "I only want to see what our potential business partner is capable of."

From the archway that the giant came through, a group of Space Pirates and Shadow Beasts emerged, scanning their environment. They were unharmed, but their arms and mouths were bound by some sort of high-tech restraints.

"As you can see, Lord Roy, we also keep other… interesting individuals in custody," Malthus commented before turning his attention to the criminals. "Listen well. The one to kill this human will go free, no strings attached."

"Sir, you can't really mean that. Even if you're the CEO-"

"I made them a deal, so I must go through with it. Besides, we've got so many convicts that no one would notice."

The creatures were making sounds of glee as they struggled with their bondages.

"Silly me. I almost forgot," the demon chirped as he pressed another button to unshackle them. "Have fun."

Almost immediately, the creatures rushed at Roy, screaming wildly. He ducked under a Pirate's scythe and hopped over a tackle from a Shadow Beast. Another one slammed into him in midair, making him drop one of his blades. Quickly recovering, he drove his sword into the Shadow Beast's spine and lifted the monster as a meatshield just before a Phazon blast from the Galvanic Accelerator Cannon wielded by a Pirate. The Pirates shot at him without pause, forcing him to abandon the now obliterated carcass of the Shadow Beast and dodge or deflect the projectiles. Running across the wall, he pushed off into a roll to recover his other sword.

"Sir, even the magical barriers can't handle too much radiation from the Phazon weapons," Abigail warned. "Hey, hurry up and kill them!"

"Will do!" Roy called back and concentrated, surrounding a small radius with fire. Lunging forward, he performed a fiery Double-Edged Dance. The combo cuts through the Pirates' ranks, dispersing them. Roy blocked a powerful swipe from a Shadow Beast with one sword and deftly slashed its midsection with the other. The Pirates were now climbing the wall to get a better vantage point while the Beasts were busy with him. Noticing this, the swordsman slew one with a rising Blazer and pushed off of the falling corpse to hop onto the next victim. After defeating his third Space Pirate, he lost momentum and dropped to the ground, where two Shadow Beasts waited. Dodging the blasts from the remaining Space Pirate, Roy jumped onto the back of one of them and stabbed his twin swords into its shoulder blades, making it bellow with pain as it tried to shake him off. He steered the rabid monster into its ally, which tried to push the charging beast away. Quickly delivering the finishing blow to its head, Roy landed on the other one with a two-footed stomp to its chest and cut its neck before it could revive the fallen allies with its howl. The redhead responded quickly to the incoming Phazon shot by barrel rolling away and simply knocked away the others with Counter. Hissing in frustration, the Pirate redirected its attention to Malthus and leaped at him. Seeing this, Abigail started to move in between them. Before the Space Pirate reached him with a scythed hand, one of Roy's swords spun through the air and pinned it onto the wall.

"Poor thing," Malthus cooed as he calmly approached the flailing creature, his eyes turning the abnormal black again. "I'll put you out of your misery."

Grotesquely, his jaw stretched and the demon plunged his teeth into the creature's neck, devouring through the flesh. Roy hopped over the railing and asked, "I want my sword-," before making a face like he'd just stepped into a pile of fresh manure. This earned him another glare from the secretary. In minutes, only the Pirate's (exo)skeleton, and mechanical enhancements remained. Daintily licking the blood off his fingers, Malthus handed Roy his sword and noted, "Strange taste. A little too inorganic for my liking. Abbie, dear, please dispose of the rest; eat them, burn them, I don't care."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, yes. And I'll need a new suit."

"Of course."

"Let's leave this gloomy place, gentlemen," he gestured to the door.

Almost gratefully, Roy led his men out.

"So, do we have a deal?" Roy asked once they were waiting for the elevator.

Malthus nodded with a pleased expression and tried to wipe the Space Pirate blood off of his white shirt. "You've performed much better than I'd expected. I'm yours."

"In that case," Roy said as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small card, "Take this."

Politely taking it with both hands, Malthus frowned at the jumble of numbers:

**2120 0808 5890 0003**

"It'll make sense once I send you a text," Roy explained as they entered the elevator.

The CEO gave him a sideways grin. "So careful. Do you really have **that** little trust in me?"

"I'm only doing as ordered," Roy stated firmly.

Malthus's grin spread even further. "How about working for me? You can have everything you've wished for. Once we take Leviathan Corporation, we'll be at the top of the food chain. There's nothing you _can't_ have. With my help, you can even take the Firebird Society."

"Not interested."

"Awww, don't be so cold. C'mon, there has to be _something_ you want," he nagged.

Roy violently slammed him against the wall, eyes glowing with abhorrence. "All I want is to bring back the time before you bastards came into our world."

"Heheh, easy with the shoving," Malthus said nervously. "I need to be presentable for tomorrow's meeting."

Roy pushed him against the wall even harder, directing all his bloodthirst at the CEO. "I _know_ you're more than meets the eye, Malthus. Come on, show me what you really are."

From being fed so much negative energy, the demon's eyes slowly revealed the hidden malevolent joy and his grin spread to an impossible length.

"Then let me show you," he annunciated with slow, dripping wickedness that was absent from his voice before. The lights began to flicker and the atmosphere became heavy, even making the Firebird envoys uneasy. Slowly but surely, Malthus's true, demonic form began to leak out before he finished, "Another time."

The elevator had just stopped below the ground floor. "I believe this your stop."

Letting go of him, Roy callously turned around and left. _He's definitely a high level demon_.

"Goodbye! I hope we meet again," Malthus called after him in his usual polite tone before the elevator doors closed. _Ahh, me. I shouldn't have gotten so excited._ _That human was trying to measure my strength. Lord Roy of Pharae, I'm going to have lots of fun with you._

* * *

Somewhere in an unknown prison, a boy was shackled to the wall. he had lost the feeling in his legs long ago and severe dehydration had left him weak. A rat scampered in through a hole and stood there on its hind legs, as if hungrily waiting for his body to fail. The only source of faint light came from the one of two small cracks in the ceiling. Long ago, he had lost the battle and been imprisoned here for three years, a decade, a century? He couldn't tell. He only remembered that day, when the world around him crumbled. It was the only way to confirm that he was still alive. After glancing through the painful memories, he prayed the same prayer for the umpteenth time. _Goddess Palutena, why have you forsaken me?_

* * *

The story's going to continue to be gory and it might also include some adult scenes later. Along with your wonderfully encouraging comments, try to guess the answers to some of the questions:

Who is Desert Wolf?

Who is the leader of the Firebird Society?

Where's the Smash Mansion?

Where are the Maser Hand and the other Smashers?

What is the Day of Tabula Rasa?


	2. Day of Tabula Rasa

In a cold, deserted factory, a creature on four legs scampers across the cracking cement floor until it stopped at a throne placed in the middle of the room. It was actually a simple wooden chair with pieces of fool's gold glued onto it, with arrangements of fake gems studded into the armrests and backrest. A great, brown gorilla sat lazily on it, toying with the undersized 18 karat crown on his head. He wore a fake gold chain and a bling with the letters KK, a brass knuckle on one hand and a number of stolen rings on the other. His body was marked with deep scars, one diagonally on his lips, two more on his chest and right rib.

"What?" he demanded. "Spit it out Diddy."

The chimpanzee in front of him nervously wiped some sweat off his face. Diddy Kong wore a fraying snapback and a slightly oversized purple and yellow basketball jersey. In on hand, he carried a Home-Run Bat that was subtly quivering. "Well, boss. We ran into some Shroom thugs. They tell us that we walking in their territory and they tell us to get out. so we don't know what ta do an,' an'-"

With a hard glare, the ape hunched his imposing figure over the small chimp and coldly whispered, "Next time ya see 'em, make 'em eat lead."

"But, but. They were-"

Slamming his fist on the armrest, the gorilla roared, "Dammit, Diddy! It don' matter what we were! It don' matter we were friends back then! They don' see **us** as friends either! We gotta show 'em who the bigger fish are!"

"'Kay boss," Diddy Kong said submissively and shrunk back into the shadows. He ran through the warehouse and to the place where the rest of the crew hung out. He looked up as he ran, gazing at the unnaturally crimson sunset. It's always been like that, ever since the Day of Tabula Rasa.

* * *

"_Fire!" Mario commanded at the top of his lungs and a cluster of Bob-bombs launched from the catapult to the incoming demons. They were enormous abominations, shaped like carnivorous tortoises with their shell made of massive piles of real bones. From the gaping eye sockets of the skulls, dog-sized locusts were buzzing out, snapping their retractable pincers. From on top of one of the tortoise demons was Ganondorf, who smirked maliciously at the Smashers' futile attempts. The volley of Bob-bombs was enough to level one of the marching fortresses, but at least a dozen more advanced onto the Smash Mansion. Diddy Kong was soaring through the skies on his Rocketbarrel, shooting down flying demons, Space Pirate ships, and occasionally dropping bombs below. Despite fighting valiantly beside his friends, he'd never been so scared in his life. All around him was hideous faces, bloodbath, and a strange feeling of absolute dread crept around him as an unnaturally red sunset began to spread through the sky. Somehow, he knew that more of these monsters will come. He snapped out of his trance when a locust hurtled itself at his face, snapping wildly. With a scream of horror, the chimp threw the insect off his face, only to see a whole swarm fly into him. Howling desperately, he tried to cover his face and swing his fists at the same time. In his head, a voice called out, "_Diddy Kong!"_ and the swarm of locusts just vanished when he opened his eyes. Beside him was Mewtwo, one of the contestants from the Melee tournament who hurried to the Mansion to fight off the invading force. _"I do not fully understand it, but that sunset is from another world, _he explained telepathically. _It's the source of your hallucinations. Don't let fear control you, and you won't fall into madness._ The psychic Pokémon telekinetically crushed a group of real locust demons into a compact ball and shot a Shadow Ball at a firing Pirate Ship, bringing it crashing to the ground. Getting some courage, Diddy unstrapped a Super Scope and fired the fully-automatic gun with a shrill battlecry. A great shadow cast over them catching their attention. It was a Space Pirate Mothership. The giant vessel slowly flew towards the Mansion, ready to drop a payload of Phazon bombs. Flying up to meet it, Mewtwo concentrated with all his might, using Psychic to hold the Mother ship at bay. The engines of the vehicle worked even harder to continue its way. A fleet of fighters zipped out of it to engage the obstacle. Diddy, Charizard, Pit and Starfox and Starwolf fighters intercepted them, taking them down with superior skill. With a roar of willpower, the Psychic Pokémon stopped the Mothership completely, making its engines overheat. With a grunt, he slammed the massive carrier onto the enemies below. The Smashers cheered at this small victory while Mewtwo panted in exhaustion. Before he could face any more enemies, a blast from a Phazon cannon shot through his chest. Looking down at his chest in shock, he fell lifelessly to the battlefield below._

"_NOOOOO!" Diddy screamed as he tried to turn around to catch him, only to have one of his thrusters broken by a locust's kamikaze attack. He spiraled out of control, but fell into the palm of a large white glove._

"_Gotcha!" Master Hand said and dropped him off at the top of the fortified mansion._

"_Mewtwo, he, he," Diddy blubbered, trying to hold back tears._

"_This is war, so there will be casualties," Maser Hand said gravely. "Mewtwo was a true Smasher who fought until the very end. Don't let his death go to waste."_

_Diddy nodded between sniffs then looked up and let out a cry of surprise. "Maser Hand, look, look."_

_Five more Motherships cruised into the fray, scrambling more Space Pirate Ships._

_The entity bravely flew at them and fired a barrage of red hot missiles. Grabbing one like a club he battered the others to the ground. The smaller fighters flew around him taking shots at him when given the chance. Maser Hand put up a bubble shield around him and flew above them to wreck havoc with his finger lasers. _

"_Brother, I need backup!"_

_The Crazy Hand flew into view, dropping dark-element bombs from his fingertips, laughing like the maniac he was. Four more turtle demon went down, crushing some of their smaller allies._

"_This-a is our-a chance!" Mario hollered. "Charge!"_

_He jumped down from the balcony and joined the charging force of Smashers, Wire-Frames, Polygons, Fighting Alloys, and militia members. Trucks with Cracker Launchers loaded on the back fired away, clearing the path for the resistance. Picking up a spare Home-Run Bat, Diddy united with his friends in the counterattack. He hopped over a swipe of a Space Pirate's scythe and bashed his head in from behind. Not too far away, he saw Donkey Kong violently twist the arm of a large demon and swing him around like a flail. Charging his palm up with fire, Mario blasted a whole through a bullish demon and knocked back a row of others using his F.L.U.D. Pit was already fighting to his fullest potential with the help of his Sacred Treasure, taking down hordes of enemies. Snake mowed down rows of invaders in his Apache helicopter and Super Wario was punching, kicking, farting and ripping away at all the Space Pirates around him. Link released another shot of the Skyward Slash and slammed his shield into another monster. Eyeing him hungrily, Ganondorf hopped down from his injured transportation and slammed his fist into the ground where Link was half a second before._

"_Ganondorf, I always knew that you were a back-stabbing son of a bitch, but __**this**__ is just too much."_

_The Gerudo king cackled. "Still so naïve, I see. __**This **__is what I've always wanted! The whole damn world burning before my eyes-"_

_He was interrupted by gruesome snap in his neck delivered by Diddy's bat. "Got 'im!"_

_With a roar of anger, the villain's neck snapped back into place and knocked the chimp away with a strike of dark magic. "Insolent monkey," he growled. "Such inferior beings should know their place; like you, Hylian."_

"_And you're a Gerudo, and nothing will change that. Where are your people?" the Hero of Time taunted. "Why aren't they helping you?"_

_Brimming with rage, Ganondorf roared, "I AM THE KING OF EVIL!" and lunged at him quicker than the eye could see and slammed him back with newfound power, instantly breaking two ribs. "I have no need for those cowards!"_

_ Relentlessly, he dashed again and headbutted him, making a crack in the Hylian's skull. He advanced agai nwith a fully charged Warlock Punch, but a spinning spiked shell knocked him away._

_Getting up from the ambush, he sneered with distaste. "Boswer. You are a fool so side with humans. The demons of Hell could have granted you power you cannot even imagine!"_

_A little surprised by his savior, Link struggled to get up. Sheik teleported to his side and examined his wounds. "Boswer, only __**I**__ can kill him. It's too dangerous to fight him."_

"_Shut up! I'm gonna teach this shit a thing or two until you get back!" the turtle snapped. "Sheik, go heal him."_

_Before Link could protest any further, Sheik nodded and teleported them away. Cracking his knuckles, Bowser snickered. "I've always wanted to get you back for turning me into a trophy."_

"_I won't be so merciful this time, 'old friend.'"_

_The Gerudo king charged and swung a fist at him, only to have it caught by the Koopa king. Bowser grabbed his other hand and soon, it was a battle of brute force. Ganondorf smirked as he got the upper hand, but then his eyes widened in alarmed as flames began to dance inside the Koopa's mouth. A torrent of Fire Breath blasted him back as his flesh singed and burned from the flames, only to be instantly healed by the Triforce of Power. With another roar of fury, he eradicated the inferno by emitting a wave of dark energy from his body. He made another lunge for Bowser with a Gerudo Dragon. Despite his size, the turtle nimbly spun away in his shell._

_Bowser readied for the next attack and said, "I've been an asshole like you, and I always will be, but the Tournaments taught me something! These people are our friends! I hate to admit it, but they are!"_

_With a bellow, the dark wizard wildly shot for his head with a Dark Dive, only to have it caught. "Remember when __**you**__ were the one who had to babysit the kids? We never told you, but we saw you reading a book to them."_

"_Silence! That's because those brats wouldn't shut up!" Ganondorf growled as he struggled to free himself._

"_And weren't you loyal to Maser Hand? What happened to all that? You even teamed up with Link to fight Tabuu!"_

_Now murderous purple aura radiated from him. "Shut… UP!" _

_The aura knocked the Koopa king back as he watched Ganondorf transformed into the Beast Ganon. The boar-like monster swung down a giant paw, crushing Bowser into the ground. Picking up his prey in sadistic glee, Ganon began to squeeze. When the turtle was at the verge of passing out, a giant hammer with smoke trailing behind it slammed into the beast's hand, forcing it to let go of Bowser with a cry of pain. King Dedede landed beside the turtle, holding his mallet in a defensive style._

"_Ya still alive?"_

_Coughing, Bowser couldn't talk back to him._

_The penguin examined the leering boar. "Sheesh! Did he even use a Smash Ball?"_

"_No. That means he unlocked his fullest potential."_

"_This baby levels buildings! We'll take him on. Hey! Wario!"_

_The ugly man in tights instantly dashed next to them with superspeed, snickering his Wario laugh at Ganon. The king of Dreamland handed him a Super Mushroom and ate one himself. "This is gonna be fun. Bowser, stay back and watch how the pros handle this."_

_The two grew in size, now almost as big as Ganon. The beast swung a paw at Super Wario, who blocked it with two hands. "Fuck, he's-a still damn strong!"_

"_Outta the way!" the giant Dedede announced and swung a Jet Hammer at the boar's face as his partner ducked just in time. The monster was knocked back several hundred feet away from the battlefield (remember that they're huge now) and shook its head to recover from the blow. The king of Dreamland jumped at him with a Super Dedede Jump, but Ganon reacted in time to move out of the way and swiped him aside with the back of his palm. Super Wario shot forth Superman style, but the transformed warlock used the momentum to throw him back. Before the biker could get up, Ganon grabbed his cape and threw him at Dedede. The two were about to counterattack, but the monstrous boar let out its paralyzing roar._

"_Dammit, I can't move!" Dedede hissed as he futilely tried to roll out of the way. Ganon charged, shredding up the ground beneath him. Reinforced with dark magic, the collision blasted the two antagonists into the side of a nearby mountain range. The King of Evil **truly** intended to kill them._

_Seeing his friends being battered, Bowser howled wrathfully, metamorphosing into Giga Bowser and closed in on Ganon. Leaving the broken fighters in rubble, the boar met his newfound interest with an amused look on his face. Circling each other, the two beasts snarled and growled menacingly. Giga Bowser started their duel by releasing a stream of fire from his mouth, which Ganon expelled with a thunderous roar. While he was open, the turtle struck him with an Ice-elemental Whirling Fortress, partially freezing Ganon's left arm and chest. By the time the boar broke off the icy restraints, Giga Bowser jumped at him with an electric slash, followed up by a Flying Slam. The impact and sheer weight was enough to knock the air out of him. Ruthlessly, Bowser continued his barrage with seven slashes to the chest and ended it with an explosive headbutt. The combusting blow smashed Ganon's head deep into the ground._

"_It's not too late," Giga Boswer rumbled. "Help us fight."_

_The Triforce of Power illuminated as the dreadful wounds healed in a matter of seconds. "I stand alone!"_

_Ganon shot forth with a Flame Choke, grabbing Boswer by the face and blasting it with dark energy. Blinded, the turtle swiped at his feet, knocking him over. Quickly getting up, Giga Bowser prepared himself as his injuries also healed. Ganon's Triforce shone even brighter as he charged up a Warlock Punch. Boswer also charged his fist with dark energy, adamant to protect his fellow Smashers. Their fists collided together, cracking and shaking the ground beneath them and sent rubble flying in all directions. The stalemate was broken by when someone yelled, "Falcon PUNCH!" and a flaming fist slammed into Gannon's face. Gracefully, Captain Falcon landed beside his giant turtle comrade._

"_Comrade Ganondorf. It pains me to see that a friend has turned his back on us."_

_Chortling, the boar pulled himself up. "Friend?"_

_At the verge of tears, the racer held up the back of his fist. "You were like a mentor to me! Do you not remember the times when we trained day and night to perfect our punches?!"_

_With another bellow, Ganon charged, only to be held back by Bowser. Struggling with the living ram, the turtle yelled, "Do it!"_

_With a battlecry mixed with rage and pain, Captain Falcon jumped over Bowser for Ganon. "Falcon…. PUNCH~!"_

_Fire and electricity trailed from the strike, crushing the wizard into the earth. Too stunned to get up, the beast forcefully called upon the power of his Triforce._

"_We've done it!" Bowser said in triumph. He looked back to the battlefield. Most of the invading force was gone, and some stragglers were being finished off._

_Laughing manically, Ganon pulled himself free from the ground. "This is just the beginning of the invasion."_

"_What are you talking about?" Captain Falcon interrogated._

"_Look at the sky. Twilight approaches," the villain said almost serenely._

_Giga Bowser and the racer looked at the now fully blood-red horizon, the sun almost at the verge of going down. A pitch black portal gaped open and more demons emerged, carrying ragged banners. Then a demon, at least three times the size of Giga Bowser, tore open the gate to step out. It had a half-putrid and obese body supported by eight spider-like legs. Crude stitches here and there ran along its stomach and two rusty chains were wrapped across its shoulders. A fleshy, blobish head had six pairs of burning eyes and a pair of ram horns sprouting from each side of its head. It emitted screeches as it opened its row of razor sharp teeth. In response, a wave of canine demons charged as infernal catapults threw flaming boulders of hellfire. The defenders dispersed, Mario screaming, back to the Mansion! Group up!"_

_Unfortunately, many of the militia members panicked and were soon overrun by the hellhounds, bitten, eaten, and torn to pieces. _

_Giga Bowser started to run back to help, but Ganon jumped in his way, crouched low and ready to strike. "__**I**__ am your opponent!"_

"_Falcon, you go help them!" the giant Dedede called out as he brushed the rubble off of himself, Super Wario not far behind . "We'll handle this traitor."_

_In a booming voice, the head demon commanded, "5__th__ company, charge!"_

_A horde of part-goat, part-man creatures, stampeded forward, bleating as they brandished their axes and spears. Their heads and legs were that of a goat and their arms and torso of a man. They had dark fleece dirty with dirt and dried blood, and wore no clothes, letting their penises swing shamelessly as they ran. _

"_Take them down!" Mario ordered as he hurled Fireballs. The weapons discharged, killing many goatmen, but more remained._

"_10__th__ company, forward!" the enormous demon commanded. A battalion of corpse-like ghouls rushed forward like flies, wielding crude, teethed swords. _

"_Everyone back! Drop the barrels!" Mario hollered._

_From the balconies and roof of the Mansion, Party Balls, Crates, and Barrels were thrown onto the charging forces, some of them explosive. Despite this, the situation seemed hopeless; Maser Hand's minions were bashed while militia members were slaughtered and corpses were being feasted upon. Then suddenly, Master Hand and Crazy Hand mowed through the attacking force, the right hand with a flying fist while the left hand trampled through with his fingers. They joined up with a remaining force and the right hand apologized, "Sorry for stranding you here. We needed to take down the incoming Space Pirate fleet."_

"_What-a should we-a do?" Mario asked hopelessly._

"_Prepare them for another attack. Gather all the weapons and treat the wounded quickly. This is our last chance."_

_Mario ordered everyone inside as the two hands floated forward to meet the massive army. With a look of was seemed to be intrigue, the head demon ordered five more companies to march forward. Using all their godlike abilities, the twins fought back, making the survivors run away in fear. Narrowing its eyes in annoyance, the demon roared at all its armies to strike. Seeing the flood of invaders, Maser Hand said to his brother, "It's time."_

"_It is?"_

_The right hand materialized a Smash Ball from his palm, letting it float in front of them._

"_Ooooooh, I've always wanted to do this!" Crazy Hand giggled gleefully._

_The two hands crushed it with their fists, making themselves glow with energy. from the Smash Mansion, everyone watch in wonder. _

"_Kids, this is our Final Smash: The Creator," Maser Hand said before the two hands burst into rays of brilliant white light. The blinding light even stalled the demonic forces, compelling them to cover their eyes. Once the light faded, a new giant figure remained. _

_It was made of a combination of two giant hands, a torso, and a face, all floating independently, but moving as one. The entity was made of a gleaming metallic substance; the right hand side of it was golden color while the left hand side was silver. The right half of the serene and peaceful looking face was a sun and the left half a full moon. It was a work of art, designed with groves, lines, and symbols in perfect proportion. Its mere presence radiated an aura of magnificence, enough to make one stand there in awe._

"_I am the Creator, the architect and carpenter of this world. Go back to where from once you came, or suffer the divine wrath," it announced to its enemies in a booming but angelically tranquil voice._

"_Attack, fools!" the commanding demon barked. "Maintain formation!"_

_Snapping out of the trance, the army surged forward with vicious warcries. White and black energy swam in the fingers of the Creator as it released the energy in ten streams of destructive power. The beams shredded everything its path, even splitting the huge tortoise demons in half._

"_Fire!" the obese commander ordered._

_Boulders of hellfire volleyed towards the Mansion in terrifying numbers. The Creator opened its palm and generated a round blue field over itself and the mansion. The projectiles harmlessly bounced off, some even ricocheting Onc__back to the demons.__e the ammunition ran out, the Creator dissipated the force field and went into battle mode. It floated forward, the small exhaust pipes protruding from the back of its knuckles spewing out the same light blue particles. With one hook punch, it swatted back rows of demons and sent out a shockwave that blasted back several more. Slamming both its fists into the ground with condensed energy, it created earthquake-like shockwaves, annihilating almost half the army. The rest of the soldiers cowered in fear or still blindly charged, too stupid for its own good._

_With a cry of frenzy, the leading hell spawn conjured several large bulbs of hellfire above itself and magically fired them at the divine being. Two fireballs collided, and the rest were swatted away. With a cruel smile, the demon unwrapped a chain from its shoulder and brandished it expertly, making it glow with flames. The whip lashed out like a viper, wrapping around the Creator's torso. With a grunt of effort, the entity ripped with aged shackle and grabbed one end. To its surprise, the demon was being dragged towards its opponent by its own weapon, spider legs desperately trying to root themselves in the ground. It lifted a hand to create another fireball, only to be grabbed by a giant floating hand. The other hand uppercutted the corpulent monster in the stomach, knocking it into the air with unprecedented force. The two hands continued their beating in midair, ending it by one of them slamming the demon into the earth and the other spiraling downwards into the monster like a drill. A large hole was punctured into its stomach as blood, guts, maggots, and rotting pieces of its meal spurted out. The demon's unearthly howl echoed for miles, even making Ganon agitated. _

_Before the Creator could finish it off, the gutted demon used a large portion of its power to teleport away in a flash of hellfire. Reappearing at the back of its soldiers, it roared. "What are you fools waiting for? KILL IT!"_

_When the smarter demons were hesitant to move, their superior swiped up a handful of its warriors and shoved them into its greedy mouth. _Why am I healing so slowly?!

_In fear, the rest of the demons scrambled forward, rushing to a more benevolent death. Several holes opened in the back of the Creator's metallic torso, launching glowing missiles that blasted craters into the earth. The head demon was about to drag itself back into the portal when he felt it. Looking up from the carnage, the Creator felt it too. From the portal, they felt an uncontainable evil. A long, red, skeletal demon slithered out. A horned crest sprouted from its skull-like head while its grin revealed six burning eyes and rows upon rows of fangs that were more like bloodied meat hooks. It's claws resembled long, thin stilettos, and instead of legs, its bottom half was composed of the tail that impersonated a long spinal cord with a spear-like end. Its monstrous figure wasn't what disturbed the Smashers the most. It was the torrential atmosphere that it emitted. The insidious feeling of blood thirst, corruption and filth made the air feel nauseous and the oxygen like ten pounds pressing down in their lungs with every breath. It slithered through the air, tactfully surveying the damage._

"_Gulamus, I see that you are in… a bit of discomfort," it hissed with a voice like thick, poisonous honey and deep and viscous like magma._

"_This is nothing, Azazael," Gulamus rumbled, trying to hide his animosity for its ally. He attempted to stand, only to be pinned down by the pain of Azazael's razor sharp nail. The anorexic monster seethed in murderous rage as it sunk its claw deeper into Gulamus's wound, earning a bellow of excruciating pain._

"_Then __**why**__ is three-quarters of the invasion force dead?!"_

"_Azazael-"_

"_How dare you talk back to a Primal Sin!"_

"_I meant no disrespect," it apologized, biting down its pain._

"_If this world does not fall by dawn, it is __**your**__ hide I shall devour!"_

_The Primal Sin carelessly removed the claw as his subordinate held back another cry of pain. "Then I shall retreat for now. Beware of this being; its attacks inhibit our regeneration."_

_With dark curiosity, Azazael studied the Creator as if wondering how to kill it in the most horrendous way possible. It took no mind of Gulamus as he grudgingly went back through the portal and looked to the survivors at the Smash Mansion._

"_Friends," it began with a honeyed voice. "This is the Day of Tabula Rasa: the blank slate. We have come to this world to give it a new beginning, a new birth. Despite your beliefs, we demons are not evil; we have seen the madness and cruelty that humans and other species of this world inflict on each other. Endless wars, disease, injustice, hate, poverty. We are here to change that; we will establish a new world order that will stop this vicious cycle! Stop this futile resistance and aid us in creating the world anew!"_

_Anyone could hear that these were obvious lies, but something inside Mario drew him closer to the demon, a hidden temptation with no face. The terrible aura had grown stronger now; he witnessed some militia members vomit or even foam at the mouth, unable to withstand the pressure of the radiating energy. Suddenly a sharp scream of pain was heard. He turned around to see a man holding a spear, eyes wide with madness and hand shaking. He had impaled a man in the back, who was now coughing up blood as life seeped out of him._

"_L-let's do that he says!" the man stuttered, still holding the spear warningly. "We don't stand a chance against that thing!"_

"_Please put the spear down," Zelda said calmly._

_Swinging his weapon to her, he screamed. "Don't tell me what to do! I don't care what you guys do, but I'm going with him. He even said that our lives will be spared if we help him! I want to_ live_!_"

_Some of the other fighters agreed._

_Not wanting a rebellion, Mario advanced to him. "Stop-a saying such-a nonsense. That-a thing lies through-a its teeth."_

_Swinging the spear like a madman, he shrieked, "HE told me that I'll be rewarded! HE SHOWED ME WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF I DON'T OBEY HIM! I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN! I WON'T DIE LIKE THAT!"_

_Before he ranted anymore, Mario knocked him out with a punch._

A telepathic attack? _he mused._

_With a tone of rumbling thunder, the Creator demanded. "What have you done?"_

_With a knowing grin, Azazael shrugged. "I only gave the poor fellow a suggestion."_

_Creating a ball of energy in his palms, the Creator shot it upwards. The orb detonated as it reached the atmosphere. The concentrated energy dispersed like an EMP blast and showered over for thousands of miles. The radiation from the blue particles seemed to blot out Azazael's evil aura, strengthening the resistance fighters._

_Standing on top of the roof, Mario shouted, "Don't-a even think about joining him! Imagine what-a the world would-a be like if-a these monsters take-a over it! We-a love our world, and-a we'll fight until-a the very last-a man to-a protect it!"_

_Frowning at this, Azazael turned back to the Creator with a cruel smile. "I am known as Azazael, the strongest of the Primal Sins and the ruler of Hell. Although I can see that you have no desire to side with me, the offer is left open."_

"_I am the architect and carpenter of this world and many. I am the sculptor of all living things. How can I abandon my own children?" it boomed from its unmoving mouth._

"_Then it is fit for me to slay the god of this world and verify my right to rule."_

"_It is not too late, my son. Return to your dimension and spread no more evil."_

_The demon's eyes burned even hotter. "Son?! __**I **__created myself into the absolute embodiment of evil! How dare you claim ownership over me! I will rip you to pieces for mocking me with such heresy!"_

_Azazael snaked through the air at high speed and slashed at the Creator, managing to make a mark in the back of the machine-like entity's hand. It seemed a little surprised that the attack dealt some damage, and the monster sneered at this reaction._

"_Slaughter them all!" Azazael commanded his remaining army. The remnants cheered with new malice and charged wildly. The Creator tried to intercept them, only to be knocked away by Azazael's tail. _

"_Finish them-a off!" Mario yelled and the resistance rushed downstairs and out the front gates with overwhelming battlecries while the Smashers hopped down from the upper floors to lead the advance._

_Knowing that Azazael's attacks might put them others in harm, the Creator made wings of pure energy burst from his back and shot up to higher altitudes._

"_Are you running away now?" the demon taunted and chased him._

_Now that they were more prepared, the citizens of Nintendo fought fiercely, driving back the invaders with hardened zeal. The battle raged on for hours, and they slowly overwhelmed Hell's army. A couple of them managed to flee, but the battle was won. People wept and cheered with bursting joy, but Mario was still preoccupied with the duel taking place in the skies._

"_We still have to see who wins, huh?" Link mused beside him._

"_None of-a us could-a possibly fight-a that monster. Only-a the Creator."_

_Huge explosions and gusts of wind from shockwaves and incessant sounds of battle echoed on for a long time. Then the two entities flew down to a level that was visible to those on the ground. both parties received major damage. The Creator had crack and dents all over his metallic form while Azazael lost and arm and was bleeding quite heavily. In fury, the demon saw the Nintendo forces below and charged up a surge of hellfire in his mouth. Spotting this, the Creator rushed at him at full speed, redirecting the flood of flames to the opposite direction. _

_With a monstrous roar, the demon king bit into the entity's shoulder. From the giant floating hands' fingers, ropes of light tightly wrapped around the two of them._

_Holding Azazael in a vice grip, it said, "This is the only way to destroy you."_

_Its floating two-sided face looked down at the Smashers, and in the voices of Maser Hand and Crazy Hand, it said, "Take care, kids."_

_Like a missile, the constricted beings shot up to the sky, past the atmosphere, and out of the solar system. In a flash of white light, they detonated, producing a shockwave that even shook the planet the Smashers were on. In faithful anticipation, the resistance members waited, looking up in hopes to see the glorious Creator descend. Then the truth settled in: he was gone. Azazael too, but also Maser Hand, Crazy Hand, and their old lives together in the Smash Mansion. Zelda slumped down in defeat, covering her mouth as the tears poured endlessly down her face. Link bit his lip, unsuccessfully holding back the tears and balled his fists up so hard that blood began to drip down. Pikachu and Peach bawled endlessly, unable to contain their pain. Samus held her head down, expression not visible beneath the mask. Even Snake clamped his teeth together almost violently to suppress his feelings, only letting a few tears leak out. Sonic slammed his fist repeatedly into the ground, wailing that they're not dead. Mario let his emotions burst out, crying profusely screaming mindlessly like an animal to the heavens and swinging his fists like a madman. His weeping brother held him back as the plumber continued his raving. After all the strength left him, he threw himself onto the ground moaning in despair._

_They continued their mourning for a while, and some forcefully collected themselves. Link approached the disillusioned Mario and pulled him up._

"_We need to rebuild from all this destruction. We need a leader."_

"_I'm-a not worthy."_

"_What are you talking about?! You're-"_

_Suddenly, from the portal, a behemoth of a demon walked out, followed by a battalion of creatures of Hell. The resistance forces were too shocked to register this. Hadn't they just won?_

_Mario was the first to act. Eyes overflowing with burning rage, he ran at the army and released a powerful Mario Finale like never before._

* * *

This was a very sad chapter to write... :'(

As for the bad news, more characters will be announced dead in the next chapters, so pray that it isn't your bias. Many characters change, so plz don't say they're out of character.


	3. Old Friends

Mario replayed the memory, never forgetting the murderous feeling he harbored on that day. Losing himself in his own word, Mario didn't notice the car stop in the paved, circular driveway.

"Don Mario, we are home," Toad informed and exited the car to open his superior's door.

Mario stepped out, observing the Shroom Mansion. The white mansion had a large fountain in the middle of the marble walkway, which was flanked by a manicured garden in full bloom. The windows of the building were recently cleaned and polished, the roof free from falling leaves, and the symbol of the Mushroomy Kingdom embedded high in the front of the mansion. The two entered through the ornate doors decorated with golden borders and knobs.

"We're-a home!" Mario announced as he passed his fedora and coat to another Toad who stood guard.

Another man about half a head taller than the ex-plumber stumbled down the spiraling staircase. He wore the same white dress shirt, black vest and slacks as Mario, but had a green tie instead of red. His brown hair was greased back and moustache styled in place. Almost tripping over himself, he spread his arms out and said, "Ben tornato, brother. How was-a the business-a trip?"

"Same as-a always, Luigi," Mario answered as they gruffly embraced and kissed each other's cheeks. "Where's-a la madonna? I need to-a speak with-a her."

"Sì, sì," Luigi said hastily and led him up the stairs. "She's-a waiting for-a you."

"Signor Toad, I want to-a know how-a much we made from-a 'miscellaneous labor,'" Mario said before ascending the steps, referring to their profits from small robberies, muggings, and 'toll fees.'

"Sì, Don Mario," Toad complied obediently and turned to his fellow henchmen. "You heard him. I want all the information now."

The two brothers stopped at a room with a pink door.

"Do you-a bring her-a good new or-a bad?" Luigi asked curiously.

Mario fixed his vest and checked his greased hair. "Both."

"Well-a then, you should-a not keep La Madonna -a waiting," his younger brother suggested. "I-a need to-a fill out-a some paperwork."

Mario nodded and entered the room, gently opening the door.

Almost everything in the dimly-lit room was in different shades of pink: the walls, the floor, the bed, the closet. The ground was littered with cut up dolls, their stuffing lain out like snow. A woman in a pink dress was on the bed, her face hidden by the shadow of the canopy overhead. The scissors in her hand went "snip snip" as she was mutilating another doll, not putting too much thought into the process.

Mario approached her as she extended a hand. He kissed the ring on her finger and backed up a few feet as a gesture of respect.

"I have-a returned, madonna."

"Hmph, so I see. How did the transaction go?" the unseen woman asked.

"All according to-a plan, madonna. Some-a casualties, but-a nothing important."

That's good. When do the shipments come in?"

"In a week, madonna."

"Very well. You may leave."

Mario reached the exit, then turned around with a change of heart and stood there in concern, unmoving.

"What? Is it my face again?" she snapped in annoyance.

"Madonna, we can-a bring a plastic surgeon, the best-a one if-a we need-a to," he began with hope in his voice.

With a horrific shriek, the madonna flung her scissors in the direction of the mobster. The sharp instrument lodged itself into the wall beside Mario, who stood there, unflinching, but looking dejected.

Breathing hard with anger, she screamed, "Get out. Get out of my room! NOW!"

Grimacing at his foolishness, he said with a bow, "As you-a wish, madonna."

He closed the door as gingerly as he opened it and let out a deep sigh while sobs echoed from the room.

* * *

Mario was on his way to his room when Toad stumbled into him.

"Don Mario, some of our men ran into the Kongs this morning. It looks like they're trespassing into our territory."

His eyebrows bent in scorn. "So?"

"What should we do about them?" Toad asked timidly.

The ex-plumber hesitated to answer. "If-a they're really-a planning to-a take our land, I would-a want a word with-a them, personally. Let-a them be for-a now. Wait, but-a if they're attacking our-a men, kill them."

"Sì, Don Mario," the crony said and scampered off.

Mario stepped into his room and slumped into his black leather chair, lost in thought. After a while, he opened the drawer in his desk to remove a Memory Ball and examined it for the fiftieth time. It was clear, the size of a marble, and stored the last message from Master Hand. As if not convinced by its message or just because he wanted to see his mentor again, Mario crushed the marble again, letting a strange light glow from the cracks. A mirage of Master Hand appeared, encompassing a large portion of the room.

"I may not live through this war, so these are my final words I want **you** to hear, Mario.

"These demons come from a world shut off to others for obvious reasons. They've managed to make a gateway into our world, although I don't know how. However, I do know that these invaders won't stop at a peaceful treaty. They will slowly crush all life in Nintendo without second thoughts. If the Smashers lose this war, they will be scattered and leaderless. That is why I want you to unite them and defeat the demons with clues and secrets I've left you. In case this Memory Ball falls into the wrong hands, I've scattered the clues in place that only Smashers can find. Whenever you are near a clue, this Memory Ball will glow. I believe in you Mario. You and the Smashers can defeat them. Gather them when the time is right."

"But what-a _is_ the right-a time?" Mario asked desperately, hoping for a different answer.

To his disappointment, it didn't change. As if smiling, the Master Hand replied, "The right time is up for you to decide."

The light flashed out and Mario was once again alone in his room with a small, unscathed marble in his hand.

* * *

"You know, fighting all those demons by yourself is the stupidest thing I've heard in a while," the orange-armored pilot remarked.

"This is the first time we meet in ten years and you can only scold me?" Desert Wolf retorted.

The pilot shrugged in apathy as she concentrated on steering through the rugged valley.

"They could have gotten some precious information out of you if you were captured," the ship's computer added.

"Shut up, Adam," the swordsman growled as he rubbed his injured side. "I need to stay in shape. You don't know when they'll mount a full attack."

"Samus, put some sense into this guy," the personality of Adam Malkovich said with what sounded like a sigh.

"Cut him some slack," the famed bounty hunter assuaged. "But Adam's right, Link. You can't jump out in the open like that. Security's getting tighter every year."

In disbelief, the Hylian slammed his hands onto his knees. "Now you're siding with the computer? We've known each other since the first Tournament!"

"And I've known Adam since I was a kid."

"It's a computer! It's just got his personality programmed into it."

"He's **Adam**!" Samus snapped in an aggressive tone, radiating an almost murderous feeling.

Link backed down. "Okay, my bad."

Realizing her hostility, she sighed and apologized. "No, I shouldn't have gotten so defensive."

They flew quietly for a few miles before Link asked, "Can you take off your helmet?"

Samus faltered at this request before asking, "Do you really want me to?"

He nodded in waiting.

Putting the spaceship in autopilot, she pulled the red helm off her head.

"Wow. You've aged."

"And you haven't grown a bit," she retorted with a smirk.

"Hey! I'm 5'7 and a half now! Hylians are just a little shorter than humans. I didn't even mean it in a bad way, geez."

"5'7 and a half?" snickered the bounty hunter, who was 5'10. "That's cute."

"Well at least I'm not some huge human-bird freak of nature."

"Says the one with pointy ears."

"All Hylians have pointy ears. Not all humans have alien bird DNA."

"Touché, elf boy."

They both laughed at their argument; it was just like back in the old days.

"You've aged gracefully, madam," the Hylian complimented with a mock bow.

"Too late for sweet talk," she said. "I'm tempted to drop you off here in the middle of nowhere."

Then Link got a curious thought and asked,"What do you do nowadays."

"None of your business."

He was surprised at her coldness. "Ummm, okay."

Trying to ease up the situation, Samus asked, "What about you?"

"I just help Zelda at the Sanctum now."

"_You_ guys run it?"

"Yep."

"How do you guys survive? I mean, it's so isolated."

"We mostly transport goods of other gangs to each other. And recently, we've started a hacking program," the elf confessed. "We don't make bank on it, but it's enough to get by."

Samus nodded understandingly. "Tough times, huh?"

"Yeah."

They stopped at a walled city about 50 acres in diameter. Two circular walls protected the Sanctum: inside the first one was some agricultural fields and the second wall shielded the real city. The whole structure was made of a pale beige material with metal framings. The houses looked more like military barracks and three separate buildings were located in the middle of the Sanctum. Samus guessed that the tallest one was where Zelda lived in.

"Home sweet home," Link commented as they flew down to land. "It's not as fancy as the places that some of the others mafia groups live, but it's safer."

Suddenly, ballistics was being fired at the ship.

"What the hell is this?!" Samus growled as she dodged the missiles. "Is this your welcoming party?"

"They probably think that you're a Space Pirate," Link explained quickly and asked, "I need to tell them to cease fire."

Before they could make any communication with below, the men stopped firing and a marshaller on the wall gave the signal to land. Also on the wall was Princess Zelda, who waved at them happily.

The ship landed in front of the citadel and lowered the hatch for the two passengers to come out. Waiting for them was Zelda and a group of armed men, who eyed the stranger suspiciously.

"Samus! It's been too long!" she greeted with a tight hug. "Wow, you've aged gracefully."

"And you've barely aged," the blonde said with a bit of envy. "How's life in the Sanctum?"

"I couldn't complain. It's a lot better than what so many poor souls go through in the city. How'd you come here?"

"Just dropping Link off."

"Link, you should have told me when you'd be back," the princess of Hyrule scolded.

"Mr. macho here had to fight a whole patrol squad of demons," Samus informed with a smirk.

Zelda gasped in shock and examined him. "Are you hurt? Do you feel alright?"

"I'm fine," he reassured. "Just some minor scrapes and bruises."

Zelda slapped his chest. "You idiot! I'd never forgive myself if you died. No more negotiation missions for you."

"They were patrolling a lot further than last month, so I just gave them a warning," he argued.

"Your warning could have gotten you dead," Samus commented. "You might be the Hero of Time, but you're not invincible to Phazon canons."

Zelda's eyes went wide. "There were Space Pirates too?"

The bounty hunter crossed her arms. "Yeah. That's when I jumped in to save his ass."

The princess looked at her gravely. "Samus, can you spare a few minutes? It's important."

She looked at her quizzically. "Sure."

"Please come inside," Zelda said and led them through the metal gates.

* * *

Contrary to Samus's prediction from before, Zelda lived in one of the barracks like the rest of the citizens.

"I thought you live up there," Samus said, pointing to the tallest building.

"Oh, no. that's where everyone eats, bathes and do their daily jobs. The building next to it is the library and the long one other there is for military training," the Hylian explained as she opened the door. "I still feel guilty for having this whole thing to myself."

"The people _wanted_ you to have this," Link relieved. "You're the one who got this place built. You deserve it."

Inside was a plain room, much like a barrack. There was a simple bed, a large mahogany desk with piles of paper and an old computer on it, a round table with a couple of chairs, a wardrobe, and a traditional rug from Hyrule.

"Please, sit. I'll go get some tea."

"Does the Gov come here a lot?"

"We don't try to meddle with their business, but since we are the main shipping line for the other gangs, they send a strike force from time to time. But the good thing is that the other gangs sometimes send men to fight them off. It's a symbiotic relationship."

"Don't you think that the Gov will one day try to wipe this place out, once and for all?"

Zelda nodded direly and brought over the tea tray. "That's why I've wanted to talk to you."

"What can I do to help?"

Zelda passed her, Link and herself a cup of hot liquid. "You can give us information. From what you've said, it seems like Space Pirates are also starting to patrol around us. You've fought them before, so you must know the best way to defeat them."

"We've been dealing with demons for a while, but Space Pirates are still pretty new to us."

"Well, one basic fact is that they never move alone. They also mess around with their body parts a lot, so some of them have mechanical enhancements. Any sort of EMP should be able to take care of that. Disorienting them and taking them down one by one is a good approach as well. And normal soldiers should never fight them in close-quarters and the Sanctum's walls should be guarded at all times; they're good climbers."

"What is their main weaponry?"

"Quantum Assault Cannons and scythes mounted on their arms."

"Thank you, Samus," Zelda said with determined gratitude. "We will use this information well. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"

"Look at the time! Sorry guys, I gotta go," the bounty hunter apologized and stood up.

"Where do you live?" the Hylian princess asked. "We'd really like to visit you someday."

"I'll be around in Smash City, but I'm pretty busy nowadays, so don't bother trying to find me. I'll stop by here from time to time."

The two Hylians escorted her to the front gate.

"Samus, if there's anything you need, just ask," Zelda offered after putting her into a tight embrace.

Link also gave her a quick squeeze. "Are you sure you don't want to live with us? Smash City's a mess."

The blonde flashed him a confident smile. "I can take care of myself. Besides, you guys already have your hands full with these refugees."

After saying their last goodbyes, Samus lifted off.

"How much have you told them?" Adam, her ship's computer, inquired.

Samus said nothing.

"Are you _that_ ashamed of yourself? They're your friends, they wouldn't think differently of you."

"You know what Adam? Sometimes you're so right that it annoys me."

With that, she shut of the AI and silently flew on for her destination.

* * *

"We're having turtle soup for dinner, boys!" a Waddle Doo shouted, hefting a drum magazine Super Scope into the air.

The Waddle Dees behind him cheered bloodthirstily, shaking their weapons in aggression.

"Kill all those fuckers!" Bowser Jr. roared. As the years have gone by, he had grown to about Luigi's height and hardened by the business in the streets.

The Goombas and Koopas behind him charge, shooting and brandishing their weapons. The Waddle Dee forces advanced, and the two parties clashed into a violent street brawl.

"Nice seeing you again, one-eyed freak," Bowser Jr. spat, excited to once again fight his rival. "I've always wanted a rematch."

The Waddle Doo tossed away his empty Super Scope and pulled out a spear. "Still whining about that? Grow up, kid."

With a fierce battlecry, the young Koopa lunged, claws sharp and flame breath sizzling. No side seemed to be winning, then a Koopa Troopa scrambled into the alley.

"The Gov's here!" he shouted in between pants. "About 60 of them! And they've got choppers!"

Bowser Jr. growled in irritation. "Pull back! Pull back!"

"We're outta here!" Waddle Doo said and hopped into the driver seat of a pickup truck. His henchmen climbed into the back, dragging their injured or dead allies along.

Black, armored SRT vans screeched to a stop as they formed a blockade. Two attack helicopters flashed their spotlights into the alley, and a law enforcer turned on a megaphone.

"We have you surrounded. Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up. If you do not cooperate, we have no choice but to subdue you by force."

The Koopas lifted the cover of a manhole and began to drop down.

"We have no choice but to subdue you by force," the voice repeated and the officers took aim.

Turning around, Bowser Jr. fired a rocket launcher at the closest chopper. The projectile collided with the vehicle, forcing it to go down, out of control.

"Take cover!"

While the detainment squads were distracted, the last of Bowser's minions escaped through the sewers.

"Don't let them get away!"

Armed men threw open the lid and skillfully climbed down, flashlights clicked on.

"The area's clear," one of them informed.

"Pursue them with caution," their commanding officer ordered. "Beta squad and Delta squad, proceed with caution."

Two more squads descended into the dark sewer, rifles at the ready. A member of Alpha squad noticed a peculiar object crudely camouflaged on the wall. He scanned the walls and ceilings from where he stood, and felt his blood run cold when it hit him.

"Pull back! It's a trap! Pull-"

A roaring chain of explosions blasted through the tunnels, engulfing the gunmen and caving in the sewers.

Once he checked the results of his handiwork, Bowser Jr. slipped back into the shadows. His father will be pleased.

* * *

A man about the age of fifty years sauntered into the bar, eye piercing at anyone who seemed to look his way. He was gone for three years and this city was worse than before. Wearing an old trenchcoat and an eyeptach, he slowly made his way over to the counter.

"Outta my way, old man," a hairy, hulky, intoxicated man slurred as he tried to push him out of the way.

Expertly, the elderly man twisted his wrist, causing the drunk to cry out in pain.

"In my days, people used to say 'excuse me.'"

He simply threw the man to the floor and sat on the nearest stool as people continued to stare. The drunk man stumbled out of the bar as fast as he could.

"Kids these days," the eldery man snorted before taking a seat.

"Gimme something strong."

In a short time, a mug of whiskey slid down the counter.

"Welcome back, comrade," the bartender greeted.

"It's been a while, Douglas."

"Captain Douglass Falcon, reporting for duty!" the bartender said proudly with a salute.

Snake smirked. "Sometimes, it's good to have a friend like you around. Lightens up the mood."

"How have you been, comrade?" Captain Falcon asked eagerly as he cleaned an empty glass.

"The usual: doing mercenary work, spying on the Gov."

"Did you have any luck finding a way back to your world?"

"…"

The ex-racer tried to cheer him up. "After my shift, let's eat out! I know a good place."

The mercenary quickly finished his whiskey and stepped down from the chair. "Sorry. I'm sort of tired right now. Maybe later."

Captain Falcon's expression turned serious, which was rare. "The accelerated aging is taking its toll, isn't it?"

"Later, Douglass."

* * *

The drunken man whom Snake neutralized from before was now on the ground of an alley many blocks away, softly moaning in agony. On his forehead was a tiny, white humanoid creature, eyes blood-red and a flower protruding from its head. Poison from the being's minuscule mouth spread throughout the prone man's body, slowly killing him.

A smaller man, about 2.5 feet tall, nervously checked the dying man's pockets and uneasily held up a tattered wallet in triumph.

_Stop feeling so guilty,_ he tried to assure himself. _This is the only way to survive. No one's going to help me; it's me against the world._

The small creature walked away from its victim and hopped into its master's jacket. Trying not to gulp after seeing the face of the pale corpse, he scurried away, the wallet in his pocket like a 10-pound weight.

_Yes. In this rotten world, I have to use any means necessary to survive. Only the strong survive. I'm not weak._

* * *

Far out in the depths of space, a Space Pirate convoy traveled steadily in a tight formation. Debris and rock drifted around them as they traveled further. Must be near an asteroid belt. Everything seemed normal until another space ship came up on the radar. After receiving permission to give chase, the Pirate ship began its hunt.

With his blood pumping faster in excitement, the pirate accelerated his fighter deeper into the asteroid field. He looked back at his radar to see that it was picking ups signals from the asteroids as well. Slowly cruising through the debris, the Pirate searched carefully and frequently looked back at the radar to detect any abnormal movements. The ship sounded an alarm, notifying that a heat signature was closing in fast. The Pirate turned the ship in the pointed direction but was knocked back as an explosion rocked the entire vessel. A rapid succession of plasma shots collided. In retaliation, the Pirate ship fired back. The computer picked up the enemy: Sky Claw, Arwing class fighter. The Pirate tried to balance his spacefighter, only to see that the stabilizers have been destroyed. Before a distress signal could be sent, a charged shot blasted the pirate ship to pieces. The Sky Claw then streaked through the asteroid belt to rendezvous with the rest of its teammates. The other pirate ships have already been neutralized, and the rest of the Starfox team had secured the cargo.

"Good job, team," their captain said. "Now we've got to get out of here. Reinforcements are going to be here."

_Come to think of it, this is a weird-ass twist,_ Falco thought to himself. _Now, we're the pirates._

* * *

Deep underground in a grotto, a lone man sat cross-legged on a make-shift rug, deep in mediation. He exhaled evenly and lifted a large longsword off the wall and went into a neutral stance. Methodically, he moved about, brandishing his blade with smooth but precise motions. He needed to get stronger, much stronger. Soon, he will return to the surface.


End file.
